An Annoying but Memorable Birthday
by Healer Pomfrey
Summary: Severus is ill on his birthday, and his colleagues do their best to 'entertain/annoy/look after' him. AU, partly OOC, sick!Severus


**An Annoying but Memorable Birthday **

_Originally, I wrote this little oneshot for a friend's birthday and posted it on my Livejournal a while ago, but I thought maybe some of you would enjoy it as well. As you know, I'm not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes or help me to correct them._

_All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am only borrowing them to play with them and make them annoy poor Severus. I am not earning anything by writing this story._

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Severus slowly opened his eyes, only to shut them instantly as they made painful contact with the much too bright rays of the early morning sun streaming though the charmed window opposite his bed.

'_What happened_?' he pondered, trying to recall any previous occurrences involving a hippogriff that might have overrun him. '_I don't remember anything out of the normal_,' he thought and began to inwardly check to each part of his body to find out what exactly was causing him to feel so horrible on this bright morning. '_My head is going to explode soon, my eyes are sore, and my throat and my chest hurt__.__ I must have caught a cold_,' he diagnosed and slowly dragged himself out of his comfortable bed and into his private lab to fetch a Pepperup potion.

'_This should clear up soon. Thank God it's Saturday and I can stay in bed a little longer_,' he wearily thought as he scrambled back under his covers, shivering violently in the cold air of the dungeons.

Severus was just about to drift off to sleep when a knock at the entrance door to his quarters brought him back to reality. He tiredly sat up, noticing that the Pepperup potion had only helped so much, and decided to ignore his visitor for the moment. Summoning an additional blanket from a cupboard, he nestled back under his covers, feeling absolutely horrible, cold, and dizzy.

'_I don't know why the Pepperup potion didn't work_,' he wondered. '_I can't have made a mistaking in the brewing process, can I_?'

"Severus!" Suddenly, Minerva's stern voice penetrated his ears. "You know that you're supposed to not miss any meals. Even on your birthday, you need to eat."

'_Of course, Albus, Minerva, and Poppy can enter my quarters at anytime_,' Severus remembered, feeling very annoyed at the thought. He slowly turned his head to face his colleague, letting out a tired, "Hmmm?"

"Severus, are you ill?" Minerva queried in alarm, taking in that his face was as white as his sheets while his cheeks were uncharacteristically flushed.

"No, but I have to catch up some sleep because of brewing the Wolfsbane potion a few nights ago," Severus lied, annoyed at how hoarse his voice sounded. He tried to flinch back when Minerva raised her hand, but his colleague was faster and quickly laid the back of her hand onto his forehead. Severus unconsciously leaned into the cold touch, immediately regretting it when she released him, throwing him a stern look.

"Severus, you are ill. Let me call Poppy, so she can check on you."

"No!" Severus replied in an upset tone, hurriedly trying to sit up but felt himself being pushed down again.

"No, Severus, you will remain put," Minerva said firmly and conjured a Muggle thermometer before she instructed him, "Open up."

"No, I'm fine," Severus protested, causing his colleague to sit on the edge of his bed and sigh in exasperation.

"Well, Severus, you don't look fine to me, so let me check on you."

"Let me sleep. I already took Pepperup and I'll be all right," Severus croaked, shivering as she placed a cool cloth on his forehead.

"Severus, if you don't let me take your temperature, I'm going to call Poppy. It's your own choice," Minerva threatened, causing Severus to open his mouth and close it around the glassy stick that felt ice cold under his tongue.

Seeing that another violent shiver struck his body, Minerva conjured a thick blanket and gently tucked him in, before she carefully bathed his flushed face while they were waiting for the reading to be finished.

Severus sighed in relief as the thermometer finally beeped and Minerva took the annoying thing back. "38.8; you're definitely ill. Severus, where can I find a fever reducer?"

"Left side from the door, fifth shelf from the right, third shelf from the bottom," Severus croaked tiredly.

"Very well," Minerva replied and went to retrieve a phial.

Severus greedily gulped down the cold liquid, sighing in relief as he felt the potion take effect.

"Thank you," he mumbled, lazily closing his eyes that felt still dry and achy.

"You're welcome, Severus," Minerva replied gently. "Try to get some sleep. I'll come to check on you again in a few hours. If you're not better, I still have to call Poppy."

Glad to be on his own again, Severus tried to relax, but he could still hear Minerva's voice from the other room. She seemed to be quietly talking to someone. A few minutes later, Pomona entered his bedroom, placing something on his night table.

Inwardly sighing, Severus turned his eyes to face the Hufflepuff Head of House with a questioning expression on his face.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, Severus. Everyone was so worried when you didn't show up at breakfast, knowing that it is your birthday and all..."

"My birthday?" Severus queried in disbelief. "I didn't know that."

"You must be feeling quite awful. Minerva told me you had a bad cold, so I thought maybe a cup of herb tea would do you some good."

Severus eyed the mug his colleague had brought in suspicion, but he was so thirsty that he decided to give it a try. Pomona gently steadied his back and adjusted a pillow behind his back so he could sit up, before she pressed the mug against his lips, causing Severus to hesitantly drink the warm tea. '_It hurts to swallow, but it feels soothing_,' Severus realized. He gratefully took small sips until the mug was empty.

"Thank you," he whispered, glad when she helped him to lie down again.

"You're welcome, Severus. Try to sleep for a while. Maybe you'll be better and can enjoy your birthday later on."

Severus didn't even realize that Pomona left the room. The tea had made him even drowsier, and he drifted off to sleep within seconds.

He woke up a short while later to the annoying sound of a singing birthday card. Opening his eyes in exasperation, he saw Albus and Rolanda right next to his bed.

"Ah, Severus, how good that you're awake. We thought you'd need to eat something, and Rolanda made some chicken noodle soup for you," the Headmaster informed him.

"No, thank you," Severus mumbled, not feeling hungry in the least.

"You have to eat something," Rolanda insisted. She sat down on the edge of his bed with a small bowl of soup in her hand and spooned a little onto a spoon, which she held out for him.

'_No_,' Severus thought in absolute annoyance. '_My throat is sore, and I feel much too hot anyway; I don't want to eat anything hot_.' He turned his head away, kicking his bedcovers away with his feet.

"Severus, don't make me cast the _Imperius_ on you or force-feed you," Albus threatened and excused himself. "I only came to let Rolanda in. I'll be back to check on you later." So promising he left the room.

Knowing that he had to eat in order to get well and rid of his colleagues faster, Severus grudgingly swallowed a few spoonfuls of soup, before he turned his head away again. Only when he drifted back to sleep he noticed that the food had been laced with a sip of a sleeping draught. '_These meddling colleagues; can't they even leave me in peace when I'm sick on my birthday_?'

Apparently they couldn't. When his mind was pulled back to a drowsy consciousness as he succumbed to a coughing fit, he cringed in shock, seeing Remus sitting on a chair next to his bed.

"Ah Severus, you're awake," the werewolf said quietly. "I just wanted to wish you the best for your birthday, and I brought you some Muggle cough drops. They are really good. Of course not as good as your potions, but they always help me when I have a bad cough." With that he placed a small bag on the night table, throwing Severus a sharp look. "Is there anything I can do for you, Severus?"

"No, thank you," Severus whispered as he slowly laid his right arm over his eyes to shield them from the too bright light.

"I'm sorry, but I don't know how to dim the light," Remus said regrettable. "Let me call Filius for you."

Before Severus could even protest, the werewolf hurried out of the room, and he could hear the man talk at the fireplace in the living room. A few minutes later, the tiny Charms professor entered his bedroom.

"I'm sorry to hear that you're unwell, Severus," Filius told him in his high, childlike voice, before he raised his wand towards the charmed window, causing the blazing sunshine to abate to a dim light.

"Thank you," Severus breathed, feeling very grateful towards the small wizard in spite of being annoyed of having another colleague in his bedroom.

He wearily noticed the window was now showing a huge birthday cake in the form of Hogwarts with many lit candles.

To his relief, Filius soon excused himself, and Severus nestled deep under his covers, slowly drifting back to a much needed healing sleep.

Severus woke up with a jolt when something icy touched his forehead. He turned his head away in discomfort, wincing at the pain the small movement caused.

"Severus, are you feeling even the slightest bit better?" he heard Minerva ask in concern.

"No," he mumbled, realizing that he felt worse than before.

"I thought so. You're burning up," Minerva replied thoughtfully. "I'm afraid I have to call Poppy."

"No," Severus groaned. "It's bad enough here with everyone disturbing me, but ..."

Minerva used the chance to stick the thermometer into his mouth, shutting him up. "I know, Severus, but I'm afraid this is more than a simple cold considering that neither the Pepperup potion nor the fever reducer seems to have worked, and in that case we need her expertise," she said softly, watching his deeply flushed face in concern.

Just when Minerva took the thermometer back, Albus entered the room, causing Severus to inwardly groan. '_Is this King's Cross here?_' he thought in annoyance while his fevered mind registered that his colleagues exchanged some whispered words.

"All right, Minerva," Albus replied to whatever the Deputy Headmistress had told him and hurriedly left the room, leaving a birthday cake, decorated with strawberries, on the sideboard.

Minerva quietly remained seated on the edge of his bed, gently bathing his face with the cold cloth. "Try to relax, Severus, it's all right," she said in a soft, calm voice that felt soothing to his achy head.

"Feels good," Severus mumbled, leaning into the cool touch as he lazily closed his eyes only to open them again in annoyance as he heard Poppy's energetic voice coming nearer.

He barely registered that Minerva left his side before he felt a tingling sensation run his body up and down as Poppy cast her diagnostic spells.

"Severus, can you look at me for a moment?" she asked softly, causing him to obey automatically. She lit the tip of her wand and peered into his eyes, mouth, and ears, before she informed him, "You caught bronchitis. I'll get a few potions from your lab, which will make you feel much better." Not waiting for an answer, she bustled out of the room only to return a few minutes later, her arms full of phials, which she placed on the night table.

Seeing that Severus had turned onto his stomach, clutching his pillow with both arms, she decided not to bother him more by making him sit up but to spell the potions into his system, knowing that they'd work even faster that way.

Severus sighed in relief and threw Poppy a grateful glance. "That's much better, thank you, Poppy."

"What does he need, Poppy? Is there anything we can do for him?" Minerva queried, causing Severus to frown as he hadn't even noticed that she was still in the room.

"He needs absolute bed rest for at least two days. I'll come back to check on him in the evening," Poppy promised and turned back to Severus. "Severus, I'm afraid I can't wish you a happy birthday, but I hope you'll feel better soon." With that, she placed a box with chocolate frogs on the night table and took her leave.

"Thank you, Poppy," Severus croaked, shuddering at the thought of eating chocolate right now.

Minerva returned to his bedside and asked softly, "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"I'd like to drink some water," Severus replied, gratefully accepting the glass Minerva conjured and held out for him.

After gently helping him to lie down and tucking him in, Minerva sat on the edge of his bed, pulling a small booklet out of her robe pocket. "This adult version was only released last week, and I thought it might be something for your birthday. Seeing how ill you are, I didn't bother to wrapped it before coming here," she explained, showing him the booklet, which Severus recognized as the adult version of '_The Tales of Beedle the Bard_.' With her Scottish accent, she began to read in a soft quiet voice.

Severus was just about to fall asleep at her soothing reading, when the Headmaster returned into his bedroom. His eyes began to twinkle merrily at the sight of Minerva reading to her sick colleague.

"Severus, I believe it's time for some birthday cake," he said joyfully, causing Severus to groan inwardly.

"Headmaster, I really appreciate it, but I can't eat right now," Severus croaked, throwing Minerva a pleading look, which she fortunately seemed to understand.

"Albus, I think Severus isn't feeling too well right now, and he just wanted to sleep for a while," Minerva explained calmly, causing the Headmaster to give her an understanding nod and leave.

Severus closed his eyes in relief and spent the next few hours asleep. He only woke up a few times, because he felt very thirsty or succumbed to a coughing fit, noticing that always someone was at his side. '_Minerva, Pomona, and Rolanda seem to be taking turns_,' he mused, feeling grateful towards his colleagues, until Pomona tried to feed him a few spoonfuls of chicken broth.

Later, the Headmaster returned and insisted to have tea with him. "Severus, Hagrid made this tea especially for you, and I'd love to have a few words with our birthday boy," Albus told him, pressing a mug into Severus' hands.

Severus wearily listened to the Headmaster's musings about how to turn lemon drops into lemon flavoured cough drops by adding certain herbs during the brewing process and absentmindedly promised to try the recipe out as soon as Poppy would let him out of bed. Albus stayed until Poppy arrived to check on Severus and threw the Headmaster out.

"I suppose they didn't let you get much rest," she sighed after casting her diagnostic spells. "Try to get a good night's sleep, and you should feel much better tomorrow." With that, she made him drink two potions and gently tucked him in, adjusting a cool cloth to his forehead, before she cast a spell on him that would alert her if he was experiencing any problems during the night.

"Good night, Severus," she said quietly, watching as he threw her a grateful glance from his half open glassy eyes, before she silently left the room.

'_Thank God, I'm finally on my own_,' Severus mused, when a small voice at the back of his mind replied_, '__Today was one of my best birthdays ever because I felt cared for, despite the fact that I was ill. While their fussing was annoying, the memory __that my colleagues like me enough to come and care about me the whole day__ will stay with me forever__.'_

**The End**


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